Meng Bo will be one of the eight women lighting up ONE Championship’s atomweight grand prix quarter-finals next month. But it could all have been so different.
She secured a first-round TKO on her promotional debut in November 2019, but the 24-year-old Bo (17-5) had been in a dark place a few years before, when she lost three of four fights in a seven-month span in 2017.
Frustrated and confused, the Chinese contender – famed as the only woman to beat UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili – almost shut the door completely on her career.
“I had two injuries,” Bo told SCMP MMA. “A bone fracture and a torn ligament. I was totally devastated at that time. So I locked myself in a very small room with all the lighting off. No eating and no drinking. And I was just thinking, I’m doomed, I’m screwed up. I can’t fight no more.
“I was even considering retirement and maybe do something else. But my family and close friends gave me a lot of support during my hard times.
“So what I learned from those dark days is when you are devastated, you are the only one who can help yourself stand up again. So now I just keep reminding myself that I’m young. I can deal with all the setbacks.”
ONE’s Martin Nguyen lends voice to Stop Asian Hate movement
Bo’s self-belief helped her return to competition the next year, winning four fights in a row and leaving no doubt about the level of talent. Yet her confidence was not fully restored until she entered the ONE Circle for the first time, even though it took more than a year to put together.
“All my confidence was back is because of the 2019 fight in ONE Championship,” Bo said. “I prepared a lot for this fight because I hadn’t had one for a long time. I won a very beautiful victory over my opponent and I knocked her out.”
After winning three straight under the ONE banner, Bo embarks on the toughest task of her professional career. In the first round of the grand prix, she will face Ritu Phogat (4-0), the undefeated wrestling phenom out of India, on May 28 in Singapore.
The narrative entering the match-up will swirl around the ground game of both women. But the Chinese striker is fully prepared to surprise everyone watching.
“Maybe Ritu thinks I’m not good at ground fighting but I have to say I’ve been working very hard on my ground control and my ground strength,” Bo said. “Especially my stand-up fighting. That’s the best part of me.
“So, I won’t give her any easy chance to take me down and throw me to the ground. I’ll utilise my stand-up skills to finish her as soon as possible and hopefully within two rounds.”
